Buckle



Feb. 22, 1944. R. E, vSCHREIBER 2,342,304

BUCKLE Filed Dec. 7. 1942 252g '25 22 if Patented Feb. 22, 1944 UNITED STATES yPlll'fIblT OFFICE.

BUCKLE Rudolph E. Schreiber, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 7, 1942, Serial No. 468,048

4. Claims.

The invention relates to. improvements. in buckles and more particularly to a one-piece construction embodying fixed means. to positively and wedgingly co-act with-.an associated strip of material to retain it in place.

Most known types of buckles usually are made of metal and have a movable tongue hingedly connected to a cross bar. for engaging inopenings in the associated strip when the latter is threaded therethrough. Notwithstanding present day critical shortages in material, such. buckles are costly and obviously require much needed labor for the assembly operations. Buckles of the type having movable tonguesy cannot be inexpensively molded from plastics or shaped from similar materials primarily because the added assembly operation makes their overall cost objectionable.

Other known types of buckles such as those having movable grips also involve costly assembly operations and in known instances of one-piece buckles, such buckles involve structural details which detract from conventional' buckle construction suliciently to render them objectionable in appearance or unsuitedfor conventional use. Such plastic buckles as are known to applicant also are devoid' of any means to absorb the strain imposed upon its tongue and accordingly frequently break or permit belt slippage and damage.

It is, therefore, an object of the' invention to provide a buckle with integral n'on-pivotal'means arranged to easily and freely interengage with an associated strap and prevent tree separation ci the strap without incurring an unsightly and objectionable bulge in the strap at the buckle.

Another object is to provide a buckle with an integral bridge at one end to cooperate with an attached strap to hold that portion of the strap overlying the buckle substantially taut and within the front plane of said buckle.

Another object is to provide a` one-piece buckle with a xed belt-engaging tongue disposed to coact with a portion of the buckle frame to prevent breakage under strain.

Another object is to provide buckle of the character described which is easyto manipulate, effective in use, and not expensivel to manufacture.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds, will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specication; in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view ofa belt having the improved buckle associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the buckle.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 3, showing the belt attached andin section, in a partially threaded relationship.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, showing the belt in the final position illustrated in Fig. 1.

The improved buckle preferably is made of one piece o material such as molded plastics, shaped bone, wood, fibre, or other strong. form retaining material. In the event it is made of plastics it may easily and inexpensively be molded without involving costly and labor consuming machining or finishing operations.

As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the buckle may consist of a substantially rectangular frame having transverse end portions II and i2 and connecting longitudinal` side portions I3 and It. The side portions I3 and I4 may be bowed forwardly (Fig. 2) longitudinally in the manner of conventional buckles thereby disposing its end portions II and I2 rearwardly of the plane of its medial portion. The opening within the buckle frame, generally indicated at l5, is bisected by a transverse bar I5 which, as shown, is integral at its ends with the respective side portions I3 and I4 and preferably is disposed rearwardly of the front plane thereof for a purpose to be more readily understoody as the description proceeds.

Thev transverse bar I6 has a tongue il integral therewith which extends from one side face thereof longitudinally of the buckle substantially midway between `the bar ends. The tongue Il is of greater length than and completely bridges the portion of the opening i I5 between the bar I6 and the respective end portion I2 of the frame. Accordingly, the free end of .thel tongue I'l necessarilyis disposed out of the plane of the end portion I2 and hasits freeterminal I8 spaced above and slightly overlapping the front face of said y frame end. Thel amount of gapr I9 (Fig. 3) between the terminall I8 and the front face of the underlying frame end I2 is determined by the thickness of the belt 2.I to be associated therewith. As best illustrated in Fig. 4, said gap is of sufcient'width to permit said belt to be threaded upwardly from beneath the frame end portion I2 and outwardly through said gap, whereupon one of its holes 22 is brought into registration with the tongue terminal ITS. The extended end portion of the belt then iscarried inwardly causing the tongue I1 to enter the hole 22 thus retaining th'ebelt in its position ofv adjustment.

It frequently happens that a belt is made of such fragile material as to necessitate the use of grommets 23 to reinforce' the holes 22. In that event it may be desirable to provide. a notch or recess 24 on the inner margin ofv the frame end I2 underlying the tongue terminal I8. Such a recess will afford suiiicient clearance to enable the grommets 23 to pass freely below the tongue terminal without undue ilexing of said tongue and without changing the effective size of the gap I9.

Referring again to the specic disclosures in Figs. 2 and 3, the buckle frame opening I5 is also interrupted by a transverse bridge or tensioning member Z5 which also is integral at its ends with the respective side portions I3 and I4 of the frame. The bridge 25 is located closely adjacent to the frame end portion I I as shown, thereby dened with said frame end portion a translll verse slotted opening 28. It is preferable but not essential that the bridge 25 have a substantially square corner 21 on the upper edge of its side defining one face of the slotted opening l2S and that its top surface be disposed below the top plane of the adjacent parts of the Yframe side p0rtions I3 and I4, a distance at least equal to the thickness of the belt material.

After the tongue I1 has been engaged in the belt hole 22 the free end of the belt is threaded downwardly through the slotted opening 25 and then outwardly beneath the frame end portion II, as best shown in Fig. 5. While in this iinal position of assembly, the portion of the belt overlying the transverse bar i6 and transverse bridge 25 is disposed with its top surface at least substantially Hush with or below the front surface of the buckle. The unsightly bulge frequently evident in buckles commonly used is yentirely absent in the present organization. This is occasioned,

in part, by the tensioning or vbinding action on the free end of the belt resulting from its having been turned downwardly sharply at the bridge 25 and threaded through the slotted opening 2B and in part, by the curve of the tongue I1. integral tongue eliminates the undesirable thickness of buckles having hinged tongues.

The last mentioned threading operation and resulting tensioning also relieves the tongue I1 from the total strain which may be imposed thereon while the belt is in use. Such strain as might be imparted to the tongue I1 while in use will, should it exceed the normal resistance to flexing of the iixed, substantially rigid tongue I1,

cause said tongue to flex downwardly to close the L gap I9 and position its terminal tightly against the underlying portion of the front surface of the frame end I2. The tongue organization is such as to resist all strain even in the absence of the bridge 25, consequently said bridge may be omiti.

ted in certain buckles made for specic uses.

It should be evident at this time that the improved structure affords a buckle which is highly efcient in use and which is practically indestructible although easily manipulated to facilitate association or disassociation 0f the belt therewith.

The other or attached end of the belt 2lv is connected to the buckle in the usual manner and, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, said belt end has a slot 28 which freely receives the tongue I1 therethrough when said belt end is wrapped around the transverse bar I 6 and secured by a rivet 29 or stitched in the usual manner.

Although an exemplary form of the improved buckle has been illustrated and described it should be evident that the invention may embody certain modifications to the extent that the overall shape of the buckle may vary in design or contour; that it may be made iiat instead of bowed; i

and that the precise location of the various parts illustrated may vary to accommodate various Also, the i vrelation with one end portion of said frame to prevent unintentioned withdrawal of the tongue from the eyelet, said frame end portion being partially cut away below said tongue to permit free passage of said eyelet during threading of the belt, and a tensioning member integral with said frame and spaced closely adjacent to the other frame end portion, said member cooperating with the said adjacent frame end' portion to effect a frictional drag on the free end of the belt when the latter is carried over the bar and threaded downwardly through the space between said member and portion.

2. An article of manufacture consisting of a substantially rectangular frame having transverse end portions and connecting side portions, said side portions being longitudinally bowed, a transverse bar substantially bisecting the opening within said frame and integral at its ends with the respective side portions, said bar lying in a plane below the top surface of said side portions, a tongue integral with and extending at right angles from said bar, said tongue being located Inidway between the side portions and shaped to extend towards and terminate in a plane spaced above one transverse end portion, said end portion being recessed beneath the tongue terminal, and a transverse tensioning bridge connecting said side portions, said bridge being arranged closely adjacent to but below the plane of the inner edge of the other transverse end portion of said frame.

3. An article of manufacture consisting of a substantially rectangular frame having transverse end portions and connecting side portions, said side portions being longitudinally bowed, a transversev bar substantially bisecting the opening within said frame and integral at its ends with the respective side portions, said bar lying in a plane below the top surface of said side portions, a tongue integral with and extending at rightL angles from said bar, said tongue being located midway between the side portions and shaped to extend towards and terminate in a plane spacedv above one transverse end portion, and said end portion being recessed beneath the tongue terminal.

4. An article of manufacture consisting of a substantially rectangular frame having transverse end portions and connecting side portions, a transverse bar substantially bisecting the opening within said frame, a tongue integral with and extending-at right angles from said bar, said tongue being located midway between the side portions of said frame and shaped to extend towards and terminate in a plane spaced above one transverse frame end portion, and said end portion being recessed beneath the tongue terminal.

RUDOLPH E. SCHREIBER. 

